I'll be Good
by Elzeara
Summary: Losing Yuugi is one thing, but the changes that happen inside the Pharaoh's heart and mind are another story. Coping with the grief is not as easy as expected. Set during Doma arc.
1. Chapter 1: Denial

Author's notes  
>→ This thing has been on my mind for a long time now, and I mean it. Since the day I saw the episode when Yami lost (years ago, count at least 8, maybe more, I was 14 at the time), I was heartbroken myself. When Yugi's soul was retrieved, to me it felt a bit rushed, so here's my own interpretation of this whole Doma mess. This arc was my favorite of all.<p>

Current rating: T for Teen. Contains lots of angst, little violence and bits of blood. Ratings will go up and down depending on the chapter.

.oOo. .oOo. .oOo. .oOo. .oOo.

**Chapter 1: Denial**

Fear. There are so many types of it, but this one is the strongest so far. True terror that no one has felt. It's a such abstract feeling gathering around the chest, he was scared of the feeling itself. His eyes widen, staring in shock at his opponent with that powerful monster card, Guardian Eatos, and an insane amount of attack power. That's when Yami had realized his terrible mistakes in failing to win this duel. And what was going to happen next? Raphael did mention in taking his soul, is that how things will be ending now?

To be fair, he was terrified for life, but there was no way to escape this. His monsters were trapped, and had no magic cards on the field to fight this back. Yuugi disappeared when the Seal of Orichalcos was played, the lack of his companionship left the Pharaoh confused and unnerved. When Eatos struck him with the mighty attack, Yami screamed, next thing he knew, all was over. In his mind, he could only think,_ 'What have I done?'_. Certainly, there was no way to forgive the Pharaoh for what his actions; he betrayed Yuugi and his friends. He even betrayed himself. The seal was engulfing around his body, but all the strength had vanished, there seemed no need to struggle to free himself from this. It is his own downfall, consequences he _must_ pay for his actions. Then, there was a slight yet gentle push on his back. As the Pharaoh turned around, he saw Yuugi, his Aibou, but.. he realized this meant nothing good.

"Yuugi? No! What are you doing here?" The Pharaoh called out, but his Aibou smiled cutely.. Those words echoed in his mind, no, they_ screamed_ in his head. "The Seal needs only one of us, so I'm letting it take me instead!" And with that, his precious Aibou was gone, slowly disappearing with the neon green color of the Seal. It felt as time stopped moving for a brief moment and everything faded into the darkness. He was frightened, terrified to know this is all real. Yami prayed to all the Gods and hoped for the best that this was a mere nightmare, just a dream of none importance, a dream that should be long forgotten. He heard his voice being called out, was that his beloved Aibou waking him up? When his eyes opened a little, vision completely blurred, his name was called again. "Yuugi! Wake up!" There was a wave of various emotions that struck him down, and his chest felt as heavy as a boulder. He struggled to get back on his feet, legs shaking, body completely weak and exhausted, his friends - no, _Yuugi's _friends - asked what happened. Jounouchi thought Yami outsmarted Raphael, but oh, if he only knew. The Pharaoh shook his head and felt as the warm tears streamed down his cheeks. Tears? When did he ever cry? He knows Yuugi did, but Aibou was always emotional and so sensitive, Yami was always the strong one, keeping his cool and not giving into feelings. However, this time there seemed no point into holding back.

His body was shaking uncontrollably, his heart beating so fast and powerfully, it felt as it wanted to explode into pieces. Falling down to his knees, the Pharaoh looked into the sky. Time indeed seemed to have frozen in place, as this dead silence in his mind was unnerving, searching for Yuugi inside with the little hopes to find him there. He wanted to believe this was a nightmare, but he couldn't hold it back anymore. More tears came, and so did the screams. A shrill screech filled the air, so strongly and rigidly that his throat began to feel raw and sore. Physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional scars Yami now had. He pounded the earth with his fists multiple times, and kept going up to the point until little pieces of rocks stuck in, making him bleed. His friends stared with much worry, Jounouchi kneeling down and patting the Pharaoh's back. Although none of them were sure what happened, they knew that Yuugi was gone. He was exhausted, but Yami refused to move, refused to leave this place. His heart had shattered into million pieces he'll never be able to gather ever again. He had never felt so empty and dead as today. _'Yuugi.. Why?'_ he thought, awaiting no answer.

The team suggested going back, but he was scared to face the rest. What will Anzu think? Or Rebecca? Could he face them and explain that he lost the duel and lost Yuugi's soul as a consequence? It should have been him. There was no other choice, was there?

In the end, they returned. So much occurred in little time, Yami had trouble grasping the flow of time like he used to. Everything happened so fast, Rebecca crying, Anzu shocked, and a powerful punch upon his cheek from his good old pal Jounouchi. Defeated, he welcomed the attack. Everyone probably hated him for losing, for playing the card.. but the darkness, the power the Seal of Orichalcos was so tempting and delicious in power. The Pharaoh couldn't resist, and at one point, he didn't care one bit. The power that flowed inside his body felt pleasurable, and never wanted to stop. Only during the last turn he realized his mistake, and realized that anyone who uses the card will be consumed by their inner darkness. Raphael's words echo in his mind until now - perhaps Yami was indeed an evil king. Who knows? Perhaps he even destroyed Egypt back then. He tried to shake away these thoughts, but all this.. it was too heavy to bear.

He betrayed Yuugi again. During the battle with Kaiba on top of the tower, Yami had the desire to simply win and ignore his opponent's pain or death. It was such a selfish thing to do, his Aibou was terrified of his other self for days. He missed Yuugi so much, he missed hearing his sweet, innocent voice. The voice of an angel, a soul so pure that Pharaoh's eyes filled again with tears upon these thoughts. And the battle with Marik? It was a similar experience, putting Aibou in the danger for the second time, yet Yuugi always found a way to forgive his mou hitori no boku. How could he? This innocence.. The Pharaoh had never found anyone so sinless.

On the train ride, Yami wanted leave them all to be alone by himself, hidden away from his friends, but Anzu insisted he stay, they meant well by supporting their friend, helping him to eat and such. But the soul was so restless, lack of hunger or thirst. Nothing seemed to make sense. Anzu couldn't hold it back and slapped the Pharaoh on the cheek as hard as possible, probably leaving a red mark on it, hoping it would wake him up, but that seemed to worsen things. She left the place to hide and cry silently to herself. The atmosphere was intense around the group, everyone remained silent, yet Yami was always lost in thought. His expression slowly began to change into a scowl, eyebrows furrowing down together. Apologizing, the Pharaoh abandoned his seat and left to find a corner for himself, crestfallen.

His hand hurt after he punched the wall, but this was better than the grief and agony he was going through. Resting his back on the wall, his body slid down to the ground as tears built up and streamed down again. _'Aibou.. Aibou.. I miss you so much..'_ he thought to himself, wrapping the hands around his chest, curling down on the floor. An attempt to hug himself that failed to comfort his own self. _'I'm so empty, so dead without you..'_

What if he failed to retrieve Yuugi's soul? What if he fails in defeating Dartz? Those thoughts kept him awake day and night. There was so much to do, yet Yami was terrified in moving forward. He wished to go back to the past and stop himself from playing that card. Yuugi's scream still echoes in his mind when the Orichalcos barrier blocked him away, leaving the stronger spirit alone in duel. Raphael was right - he must have been an evil king. It may take days, weeks or even months to defeat Dartz, this scared him. When left alone and in silence, the Pharaoh would spend his little time in the Soul room, banging on the closed room which was previously Yuugi's. It's strange in a way. Yami realizes his soul was trapped for thousand of years, and darkness devoured his memories, his general self and well-being. Somehow, he became part of it, controlled and ruled over it. But now, looking back into his own Soul room, the place looks terrifying with infinite staircases and doors that lead to nowhere. He knows this place best, yet gets lost himself. He didn't want to be alone, not like this.

"You need to pull yourself together, Yuugi." Said the blond-haired young fellow, Jounouchi. He was concerned like everyone else. "You need to eat something man, you can't continue like this, you won't be able to defeat Dartz like this!" He added. In a way, Yami agreed, but he still refused to eat at all. Maybe a bite or two, and that was it. Everyone was getting frustrated, which he could understand. He lost the most important thing in his and their lives.

When the night had fallen, the train continued to its destination. Alone and in the dark, Yami stared at the ceiling, thoughtful and analyzing the events. Everything was spinning, probably due to exhaustion and lack of proper nutrition. He thought he'd need to take care better of this body as it is not his. The locked door in Yuugi's Soul room remained closed, maybe his Aibou was hiding? Keeping the door shut for some reason, maybe it was to shield the Pharaoh, maybe this isn't even real.. Those pathetic and weak thoughts somehow managed to ease the Pharaoh's heart, just to a certain point. His chest felt heavy at all times, emotions piling up in one spot, giving him the desire to scream again like before. His throat still felt a bit sore, but that didn't matter anymore.

Was it safe to sleep now? Would this nightmare end the next day? Everything felt so surrealistic and unreal, almost like a hallucination. Is that how they felt to some people? It's scary and confusing, not to mention nauseating as well. Honda did insist in resting for now, but Yami can't close his eyes. They want to remain wide open and observe his surroundings, maybe try to find a shadow moving around in the corner somewhere. _'Maybe.. I'm waking up? Today.. maybe I'm still asleep and this never happened.'_ he thought to himself, releasing a heavy sigh while running a hand through his tri-colored hair. Somehow this was a better thought, a small thing of little importance that helped him sleep for now. Who can tell for how long? Morning was approaching fast, and there was lots to do yet.

He struggled to sleep, but he needed so much of it. A long, exhausting sigh, the Pharaoh thought to himself once again. _'Aibou.. where are you?'_


	2. Chapter 2: Anger

Author's notes  
>→ Two songs inspired me to write this fanfic in the first place. "I'll be Good" by Jaymes Young and "Shattered" by Koda.<p>

Current rating: T for mild coarse language and violence.

.oOo. .oOo. .oOo. .oOo. .oOo.

**Chapter 2: Anger**

With the new day rising, the exhausted soul of the Pharaoh did indeed get some sleep, just a little, but this caused another extreme rush of negative emotions inside his chest. While the first one to wake up, he'd walk away and let his friends continue their sleep. Confusion quickly rose as well as curiosity upon these strange feelings; they were powerful yet somewhat not completely unknown. He'd reach a hand to his chest and gently grasp the clothes, a tight grip as his breathing accelerated. Which words could be used to describe this? With a blink, the Pharaoh sighed. The more he tried to remain calm, the more he began to feel.. angry. Why? Was there a reason? No doubt in that, but self-loathing was possible now for his own actions and events that happened few days back. With a gentle scoff, Yami shook his head and decided to ignore these feelings for now.

The ride seemed almost infinite, it was getting slightly on his nerves, the same scenery repeated over and over again, it felt as they were going in circles instead. Everything was so dull and monotone, the color of the mountains looked like rust. When breakfast (or really any food) was served, the Pharaoh ate a bit more than the previous days, but not as much as he needed to. Jounouchi noticed the slight change in his friend and got concerned. As a matter of fact, everyone was worried about their friend, the Pharaoh, he had been feeling down these past days, but today, his attitude was completely different. To him, it felt like it was another person. Leaning against the seat, he tilted his head at Yami. "Hey Yuugi, you seem to be acting weird today." He said, shrugging a little. Just before he could continue, Ryuji interrupted, or at least tried to, by kicking the blond-haired man in the ankle under the table. Jounouchi only exclaimed, aggravated and argued with Ryuji about the mess, how it was unnecessary and how it's not bad to point out such things. The Pharaoh was rather unconcerned, completely apathetic to their silly and idiotic conversation, forcing him to get up and leave.

Honda was as curious just as Jounouchi was; though he does realize it's not their old pal, innocent Yuugi but the ancient spirit of the Pharaoh instead, he couldn't really much judge. With Yuugi, Yami was always different; confident and firm in his words and duels, but now, he's shattered to pieces and no one knows how to help. He'd get up and follow his friend to the small inter-space section between two carriages of the train, closing gently the door behind him. As his eyes rose up to meet Yami's, he got slightly nervous and hesitant to start a conversation as there was something in his friend's eyes that set him completely off the edge. It was not the usual bright purple eyes, instead, red ones that shone with an intense carmine color, completely unnatural to anyone that could have ever seen. Gulping, Honda approached and tried to give him a smile. "Hey Yuugi, I know things aren't going so well lately.." He said, trailing off a little. There was a small pause before he continued to speak. "But if you need someone to talk to, I'm here, and I'm sure the rest of us will gladly listen as well." Yet the Pharaoh merely glanced at his friend, shooting him a calm yet cold glare. "I appreciate the support, Honda." Said the, folding his arms across his chest, feeling the cold touch of the Millennium Puzzle on his arms. "But I'd rather be left alone for now, yes?"

Irritated, Honda shot a brow up and proceeded to grab the Pharaoh's arm and growl a bit. "Hey man, I know you're in one hell of a mess right now, but it's affecting all of us. Why don't you simply drop that pissy attitude just _for once_? Since you've lost the duel, you've been acting completely strange, it's angering me as well." But Yami, completely unfazed, yet with boiling rage inside his heart, grabbed his friend's arm in exchange, twisting it with quite the force to provoke bits of screams yet a lot of pain in that part. "_How dare you._" Said the Pharaoh, as the eye of Anubis began to form upon his forehead. Frightened and taken aback, Honda squirmed to free his arm - in which he did - and took a step back. Sweat covered some parts of his face, taking deep yet quick breaths. This was something that the brown-haired man had not yet seen before, not like this. When the silence had befallen upon them both, Honda shook his head in disbelief and abandoned the place, returning back to the gang. The Pharaoh merely stared with a cold, harsh look, and the Eye of Anubis vanished from his forehead. What just happened? He wondered, this probably affected their relationship as friends now, but Yami somehow didn't care one bit. Completely carefree.

This burning hatred was growing fast. If Honda had not reacted in time, Yami realizes the damage that could have done to his little friend. Then again, he did mention his wish to be alone, but the other insisted. Revenge is sweet, and the Pharaoh still did not bother to care about what happened. Perhaps next time Honda will think twice before attempting to approach in such aggressive way.

Just as one seemed to leave, another just came, but this time, it was Anzu. Oblivious to the event that just happened between both of her friends, she tried her best to keep up a smile towards her friend and ignore the previous event. She'd look through the window, observing the moving scenery, completely silent at first, yet the rumbling sounds of the train on the tracks were noticeable enough. "America is beautiful, isn't it?" She started, giving it a try to ease the tension around the Pharaoh. "I've always dreamed to come here, but this scenery looks boring and really dead. I'm sure the major cities here are beautiful like in Japan." Yet Yami remained quiet during the whole conversation. Turning his gaze to Anzu, he noticed something was amiss. A look through the door's small window, suspicion quickly arose.. Where were all of the passengers?

It was rather surrealistic to see this happen in such instant. Yami was sure the train carried at least two hundred passengers, they couldn't have vanished from one minute to the next like this. There was some thumping on top of the train, making the Pharaoh rather nervous. He knew what was going on next, thus proceeding into accessing one of the ladders located in the inter-carriage spaces that led outside. "Stay here." He told Anzu, warning her about the upcoming danger. Climbing the ladder was a piece of cake, but getting on top of the train was another story, quite a challenge too. The Pharaoh spotted someone, no one else by Haga himself. Shooting a glare, he got on top of the train and struggled to keep his balance at first, soon getting used to the shaky ride. Anzu tried to contact the conductor, yet no one seemed to respond. As she tried to climb as well, half of the train's carriages were disconnected. Both Yami and Anzu then realized that Jounouchi and the rest were trapped in there.

Cursing under his breath, the man's eyes squinted, eyebrows furrowing down into a sharp glare at Haga. "What have you done?" Yet the other merely laughed manically. How unnerving and peculiar to see him act like such. Next thing he knew, he was challenged to a battle. That fool thought he could win? The Pharaoh's pride was stronger than Haga's foolish and delusional beliefs. When closing his eyes for a second or two, the world felt as it were spinning all of sudden, a nauseating feeling that slowly build up in his stomach. This never happened before, and it made the Pharaoh concerned about his current condition; in a way, he now regrets not eating as much as he needed to, the exhaustion was a total burden.

Haga, or Weevil known by some, has been always some kind of a selfish and pathetic jackass. Provoking the Pharaoh in his current broken state wasn't a good idea, Anzu agreed deep inside her heart. It was a shame they were all separated, but there was no turning back. Yami was certain Jounouchi, Honda and the rest are probably safe. How did this even start? The Pharaoh keeps getting lost in his mind at all times, sometimes he struggles to concentrate in battles when it is his turn. Haga used the Seal of Orichalcos, but stopping him meant nothing, it was already too late. "You see, Yuugi." Said the shorter male, a twisted smile formed upon his face. He proceeded to pull out a card from his pocket. "You see this? This is the key you need to save your little friend." Silence filled the air as Yami observed, taking a step forward and perhaps try out his luck to grab it, but Haga interrupted. "It'll be a shame if I.. destroyed it." With that, the card was ripped in half, and that laughter.. it was echoing, but that did not stop Yami from screaming out of frustration. The key was ripped into pieces, and his hopes to find Yuugi were broken once again. Anger.. He was so enraged and bitter. Taking a deep breath to calm down, he exclaimed. "You will _pay_ for that, Haga!"

Haga's ignorance and pride fooled him into false confidence that he'd win, but ended up losing the battle. Even if everything was done, the Pharaoh's heart was filled with unexplainable rage. He'd grab a card after another, each monster card allowed him to attack. His opponent's scream pleased his ears and kept on doing so until teary Anzu grabbed his arms and begged him to stop. Breath after another, slow paced, Yami had realized one thing, he realized how the darkness within his heart was growing each passing day. The desire to hurt formed into a wish to murder everyone who goes against him. His attention was caught by the last card he held - Black Magician Girl. He was close to sacrifice her, the same way he did when dueling Raphael.

Running towards Haga, the Seal was engulfing around his body, yet Yami grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer. "Tell me, where do I find Yuugi!?" He exclaimed, but the other merely smiled, his eyes becoming hollow and dead. That's where the Pharaoh realized his spirit was taken by the Seal and trapped in the same place as his aibou was. But none of them had clue where to search, where to even begin with. The idea in taking the train to the airport was a start, but then what? Jounouchi and the rest were trapped far away, and this empty train continued to its destination.

"Damnit!" The Pharaoh exclaimed and kept cursing under his breath in soft whispers. He'd curse the world, he'd curse everything of what happened. Dartz and his gang are out there somewhere, but there's no chance to find where. It didn't help the fact his friends were trapped as well in the carriage, lost somewhere in this desert. Looking back at the tracks behind them, there was no chance. Anzu approached and placed a hand upon Yami's shoulder. "It's okay, Yuugi." She said softly, eventually leaning her face and resting it on the same place her hand was . There was a long silence, and the man observed the soulless body of Haga. "We'll make it, right?" She then continued, the other's eyes quickly rolling towards her position. There was a long silence at first, a rather uncomfortable one too. Anzu's heart was broken at this whole mess, she missed Yuugi just as the rest did, but the way the Pharaoh acted was unnatural. It was scary, terrifying in a way to see him act so merciless and heartless towards his opponents. "I hope we can find him, you know.."

A huge bump on the train's track interrupted their little talk. In the far distance, a sharp turn was approaching. Both gasping, the Pharaoh quickly wrapped his arms around Anzu and hoped for the best, hoped to survive this. If he died, how can he find Yuugi then? Another bump, yet this time, it was bigger one, forcing the train to leave its tracks and fall to the side, taking its victims to fall off the mountain's edge. Everything happened too fast, everything scared him again. With a single blink, everything went black. Anzu's scream still echoed, are they still falling?

This darkness.. He knows it very well. The Pharaoh found himself in the corridor between both Soul rooms, his own and his aibou's. He wondered what has brought him here, certainly it couldn't be Yuugi. The door to his Soul room was always open, giving out that peaceful aura that travelled up to the other side. He loved it, but now, it was cold, dead, silent. He took few steps to the door and leaned his forehead against the closed door, feeling somehow that freezing sensation upon his skin. It was sharp and penetrating through, yet he refused to move. He began to wonder, how can he apologize to Yuugi after all this is over? No words in any language will be able to describe the grief and regret he holds inside his heart, but they echo everywhere. _'Aibou.. I'm so sorry..'_ he thought, giving a long sigh. _'I miss you, it hurts to see you gone..'_

But he was here, right? Still alive, yet his body refused to wake up. In a way, he preferred this over the real life for now. Yami's body slid down to the floor, curling up in the fetal position. "Aibou, I miss you so.." Said the man in a soft whisper.


	3. Chapter 3: Bargaining

Author's Notes  
>→ Well, here it is, chapter 3. This came out longer than I have expected lol (which is good). There were a couple of songs that motivated me to write this, two of them specifically from Tatu, "Perfect Enemy" and "Null and Void"<p>

Current rating: K+ or T, contains angst

.oOo. .oOo. .oOo. .oOo. .oOo.

**Chapter 3: Bargaining**

A voice. Someone was calling. "Yuugi! Wake up!" But who was it? It echoed in a peaceful way, a sound coming from a charming woman, yet someone who is firm, someone who is not easily shaken by words yet defends the weak. His name was being called over and over again, until his eyes slowly opened. Vision so blurry, nothing was recognizable at first. A small groan, the man reached a hand to his head and moaned in pain. This headache.. it was almost unbearable, but he was soon distracted by his familiar surroundings. A classroom? Was this real? Was this a dream? "Yuugi!" The voice called again, specifically Anzu's. Her expression seemed angry, eyebrows furrowed down and irritated she was being ignored by her friend. As a matter of fact, he was confused. This whole Orichalcos mess.. Was it just a mere dream? It felt so unreal, this can't be right. Giving a gentle sigh, the Pharaoh's eyes met with his friend's. "You've fallen asleep at the end of the class. What's the matter with you?" She asked, soon Jounouchi popping up and giving a gentle pat on Anzu's back. "Hey, hey, don't be so hard on the poor fella." He smiled, glancing down at the Pharaoh. "I'm sure he's been playing the newest game all night long, right, Yuugi?"

A game? He pondered. Perhaps this could explain his sudden sleep being interrupted up by Anzu's calling. Did Yuugi really spend all night long playing some game? How typical of him, yet somehow all of this felt rather familiar, almost like a perfect déjà vu. Releasing a sigh, the man allowed his chin to rest upon his hand and scout the area. The typical classroom, people chatting, the teacher gone, it was probably break time too. Looking through the window, the sky looked typically clear, just few clouds here and there. The guys were playing basketball down in the field, it must be a favorable sport at this school.

Yet his mind keeps drifting off into the same thought - is any of this real? Perhaps Dartz never existed, perhaps Orichalcos is a myth just like Atlantis is. It's difficult for him to cope with all this in such short amount of time. Yet if this is real, was his previous reality a mere dream? If that would be the case, he can clearly admit how terrifying it felt. So much happened in this short nightmare, it's quite amazing how the human brain is capable of creating such things sometimes. The man cleared off his throat and stood up, Anzu quickly suggesting to go to the movies after the classes end knowing weekend was approaching. He agreed it was a pretty neat idea, taking his thoughts off these feelings would serve him as a nice change for a while. With a nervous smile, Yami excused himself and left to the restrooms. Honda smiled, Jounouchi gave thumbs up and Anzu waved; just as before, just as it is always supposed to be. This is something he holds dear to his heart and loves it with much passion. It placed a little smile upon his lips as well. Stepping out from the classroom, this rush of unknown emotions penetrated through his body like a bullet. A nervous gasp, the Pharaoh noticed how his surroundings changed - the corridor becoming dark and obscure, the noise of people talking vanquished like dust into thin air, becoming completely silent. "Oh no.." He murmured to himself, eyes wide as the man stared into the thick yet endless darkness. The temperature must have dropped as well, knowing Yami could see his own breath all of sudden. Fear came back like a monster ripping his heart through his chest. Taking steps towards the unknown area seemed rather pointless, the corridor felt as it were stretching out itself further away from his current position.

Running? That was absurd, yet the frustration and terror within his heart made him do so. The corridor was boundless, he could already admit that. That feeling of hopelessness forced him to his knees and observe the darkness. Everything seemed to go so perfect, he indeed fooled himself into believing things were normal, that his aibou was here, that his friends wanted to go out together, that.. he never lost that damned battle with Raphael. Yet Yuugi has been always too kind, too innocent and decided to sacrifice himself for Pharaoh's cause. Things like these always got him into trouble, yet who could blame him? His heart was always so pure and stainless, yet the Pharaoh battled with his own self and inner fears. "_Damn it!_" Exclaimed the man, pounding the floor with his fists, quickly gasping upon his own reaction. This happened before too, few days after the battle, didn't it? What's this then? Is this some sort of Purgatory? Yami thought being trapped in the puzzle for thousands of years could be described as so, never thought any further to see some sort of limbo actually manifesting itself in his mind. Terrifying, but there had to be some way out.

The sensation of being trapped is nothing really fun or pleasant. The Pharaoh had been sitting in his spot for maybe hours, maybe even more, but lack of time made it hard for him to measure it. In the meantime, he'd been thinking what could he do to save Yuugi, if that ever happens. Certainly, taking over his body so frequently would need to cease just as before they got to know each other. Limitations must be put, in a way the Pharaoh misses being the dark vigilante that pops out whenever his owner of the puzzle gets in trouble, though some of the Shadow Games he'd played with some people drove them into insanity. Maybe that was a bit too extreme, but he'd think anyone would do the same to protect those who they love the most. Ah, he'd love to talk with Yuugi right now, talk about random things, or even better yet, ask him for help on how to deal with these emotions. The Pharaoh was certain that back in his days this wasn't maybe too hard, but the emotions as spirit are more powerful than in the mortal world - then again, he doesn't know that and can't tell for sure. He'd curse his loss of memories, Yuugi was struggling to gather all the Millennium Items yet Dartz came in between and ruined everything by taking him away. The heartache was insufferable, like this sharp pinching sensation each heartbeat.

Giving a long sigh, the Pharaoh stood up and gave it another chance to walk the corridor, this time in a slow pace. It may have seemed endless, yet he was confident there must have been some sort of an exit, a confidence that was lost long ago. To his surprise, the man soon found out there was a dull light shining in the distance. With much anticipation, he ran towards it and found it out to be a door with similar cravings like his own Soul room's. _'How odd..'_ thought the man and placed his hand on the handle, nervous to see the insides of it. The handle not only was cold, but it gave the Pharaoh a rather strange sensation of negative emotions running through his whole body; he now recognizes all of them. Sadness, anger, frustration, desperation, exhaustion and the list could go on. Same emotions he felt these past days, just what is hidden behind the door? One way to find out was to open it, a bright flash of the light blinded the man, forcing him to cover his eyes in attempt to reduce this pain. After few seconds, it seemed to have passed and Yami opened his eyes, only to find himself in the battle against Raphael. _'What..?'_ he wondered, shocked and in awe to see himself reliving this again.. or that this is his second chance. Could it be that the Gods have granted him this wish? Were they merciful enough to ease his pain and bring him back here before this all started? He wanted to cry from joy to see this happen. "Mou hitori no boku!" A familiar voice called, Yuugi's, his aibou, holding the Pharaoh's arm in attempt to stop him. "Don't play the card! You know it's evil, if you do, you'll regret this for the rest of your life!" He added, and yet, he was right. The spirit noticed the card in his hand, the Seal of Orichalcos, this cursed card that would destroy everyone's lives in a matter of seconds. This time, he was no fool and put the card away. There was certainly another strategy to win against Raphael. It was nice to see Yuugi's expression though, he seemed happy and cheerful, filled with hope and confidence just as always.

If he had to lose this battle, it was best without the Seal, then no one would need to lose their soul to Dartz. The outcome of the battle was the same - the Pharaoh lost, yet he held that smile upon his face, knowing nothing bad really happened. "Mou hitori no boku!" A voice called. Turning his gaze to the source of the sound, he realized aibou's soul was being trapped in the Orichalcos barrier. How was this possible? No one used the cursed card, unless.. this all was a mere illusion. A fierce howl was heard from the distance, piercing both space and time, a howl so sharp that reached their positions. Raphael seemed unfazed, his body slowly vanishing away like grains of sand, and Yuugi? It was the same effect, the same sensation of déjà vu, the same words, tears, feelings, everything just as before. "The Seal needs only one of us, so I'm letting it take me instead." Those words.. they echoed again. Over and over, driving Yami's broken soul into insanity, each time they repeated, it was hurting his ears. "Stop!" He shouted, a senseless endeavor to reach out for his aibou, but everything like a mirror shattered into pieces. Alone in the darkness, forced to his knees once again, the Pharaoh screamed into the nothingness in attempt to make this nightmare end. "Stop! Stop it!" He repeated, pulling down his own hair in frustration. "_Stop!_" The howl was back, a monster was approaching, running at fast speed. His breath hitched and turned around, seeing the fangs of the beast attack, ready to swallow him whole.

His body stirred, quickly sitting up. It was cold, and the sweat covered his forehead and cheeks. A nightmare? It felt so real, how long has he been asleep? Something wet yet moist and warm brushed his cheek. The Pharaoh shivered and groaned in disgust, noticing it was a wolf of some sort; ironically, it looked like Silver Fang too. He hoped this wasn't another dream. With a huff, the man wiped the saliva away and noticed Anzu's body laying next to him. Ready to panic, he could see her breathing. Now he began to remember, they were on top of the train and fell off a cliff into the abyss. How could anyone survive that? Must have been some sort of a miracle. "Ah, I see you woke up." A voice called. Yami turned his gaze and found an old man, standing and smiling down at him. "That was quite the fall, wasn't it? I saw the train fall down and thought I'd come to investigate. Glad to see you wake up." Yet before the Pharaoh could bombard the old man with questions, the elder continued. "My name is Ironheart, and this is Sunny. She's a really sweet wolf and won't harm you." His words brimmed with confidence and love, it was quite unusual to see. "Where am I?" Asked Yami, getting up on his feet. The wolf really seemed to enjoy his presence, rubbing her head against his leg and waggling the tail. That was.. adorable, to say the least. It wasn't long before Anzu began to wake up too. There was so much to explain and so much to learn, the ancient spirit was somewhat intrigued. "Your soul looks quite troubled, my friend.", said the old man and soon after a little girl entered the tent, bringing food supplies for their guests and introducing herself as Chris, but the Pharaoh said nothing, instead, he took out the card Timaeus. Staring at it for a while, he gave a gentle sigh and the young lad gave it away to Ironheart. "Take it, I do not deserve to have it anymore, not after what happened."

Curious, Ironheart did keep the card for a moment, but couldn't just ignore it. "Why don't we all sit down and you explain what happened? If you wish, of course, the choice is all up to you to share your story with me or not." Yami was rather hesitant at first, Anzu remained quiet, and although she wished the best for her friend, letting out all those buried emotions could do more good to the Pharaoh. He struggled to speak, he struggled to concentrate and tell everything from anew, after all, this is an old man he just met, someone who could easily betray him and use his weaknesses against him in one way or another. But what else was there to lose? He lost Yuugi, the key to his life and survival. Defeated and completely crestfallen, he gathered enough courage to speak and explain all the events to happened so far, the battle with Raphael, Orichalcos mess, souls stolen and the recent battle with Haga on top of the train. There were so many negative emotions leaving the Pharaoh's heart, in a way he did feel better, but it was not enough to save the day. Sometimes he thinks about giving up certain powers to save Yuugi, or even worse yet, offer himself to Dartz as a personal sacrifice to release aibou's soul. Anything would be good as long as it'd work. "When Timaeus abandoned me in battle, I lost all hope. I sacrificed all my monsters for my personal gain and the burning lust to win the fight at all costs." Silence filled the air, but the old man had an idea. "I can show you a special place that perhaps can help on your quest. For now, I'll hold onto this card for you, my friend, you'll need it eventually." Yami wanted to protest against but stopped himself from speaking.

The man told them to come, the little girl leaving first with Sunny with a bright smile. Somehow the Pharaoh was scared of going to this unknown place. "What's this place you spoke of, Ironheart?" Asked Anzu, observing her surroundings with much curiosity. "It's called Stone Wilderness, a place where souls roam." He paused before glancing at the Pharaoh. "If you enter it, you'll meet up with someone dear to your heart." Meet up with someone? Yami was confused, who could it be? It's possible to meet with anyone at this point, the people he met along with Yuugi, yet he was completely oblivious to the real meaning behind those words. "Tell me, my boy, what would you do if you met up with the lost soul of your friend?" Asked Ironheart and then the other realized what he meant by the previous statement. It was also a good question, silence befalling for a while, before speaking up. "I want to apologize for what have I done, I have betrayed his trust, after all." In far distance, the place could be slowly recognized - it looked like a ritualistic place surrounded by some tall pillars made of stone, long and unknown markings were drawn in the dirt. The place was powerful with things that not even the Pharaoh could explain. The old man pointed out and told the other go to there. Anzu wanted to join but was stopped, Chris explaining it was for her best safety.

Walking alone, Yami began to hear some voices echo, but it was not in his mind. These voices surrounded his body, bright lights that began to morph and take the form of people he had battled before. He was surprised to see souls such as PaniK's, Haga's and even Marik's as well. He pondered whether these were actual spirits or mere illusions represented by his inner heart. It felt as the gravity shifted and the voices became louder. Frustrated, it seemed that wandering into this mess was nothing but trouble, but to his surprise, a figure was forming far away. It was taking the shape of a familiar figure, spiky hair, tri-colored and that blue uniform from Domino High School. "Yuugi!" Exclaimed the Pharaoh and quickly approached. Is this real? Is this again one of those foolish dreams? Either way, seeing aibou cheered him up in an instant. "Stop right there.", said Yuugi, raising his head. Silence filled the air and the Pharaoh couldn't really understand what was going on. "Aibou, you're back..", said the man, giving a broken smile, little steps forward to meet up with his other half, yet the younger male merely smiled, folding his arms across his chest. "Did you come all the way here just to see me? Is that really all? Clearly, you don't even regret losing the battle with Raphael at all. How selfish."

It felt as those words pierced through his soul. They hurt and guilt was quick to come. His aibou was somewhat right, the Pharaoh has been attempting to find his other half, ignoring other necessary needs, becoming so selfish that he rejected his own friends. "Mou hitori no boku." Yuugi called, shaking his head at the taller male. "It's time for you to realize that the world does not revolve around you, my friend. Your egocentric and narcissistic attitude has brought you to your own downfall. And now look, mou hitori no boku!" He exclaimed and opened his arms wide, laughing at the Pharaoh. "Here I am, is this not what have you desired since your loss?" Yet Yami stared in awe and surprise at Yuugi's words. It hurt to hear them, let alone face his other half to speak those harsh words he so much avoided. He wasn't wrong to think that his partner would be mad and disappointed, completely let down, pure betrayal. "Pharaoh!" The shorter male called and pointed his finger at the other. "In moments like these, I heartily regret ever solving the Millennium Puzzle. Look at yourself, coming to me like a little puppy and begging its master to return home. Isn't that adorable? If you really care so much, I dare you to battle me and prove me otherwise." But the ancient spirit wondered, how could he battle aibou? It was rather pointless, they both use the same deck that originally belongs to Yuugi. "Aibou, I don't want to fight." Quickly protested the Pharaoh. "Yes, I may have been selfish, but I deeply apologize for what have I done. My life is not as it used to be before, the darkness in my heart is devouring me each day more and more, I fear I will lose the grasp of this life I've come to love and enjoy." Yet the young spirit laughed and shook his head once again. "You love this life because you use my body, sometimes even without my permission, and the truth is, you love what is really mine, things that never belonged to you in the first place." His ears rang with those words. "A.. Aibou.. Why? Why do you speak such harsh words?" Yami asked, frowning. His legs felt weak, shaking and couldn't really support his body weight. "Why?" He asked again, but Yuugi smirked. "Battle me and you'll find out."

"But Yuugi," he paused before approaching the young man, "I don't want to battle.. I really don't, I want you to come home, yeah?" The Pharaoh gave the other a forced yet broken smile on his lips, his hands reaching out towards the other, only to see his hands pass through. Gasping, he now had realized that Yuugi's a spirit that's not part of the body, but a boundless soul instead. "How pathetic of you, Pharaoh.", said the spirit and smirked, his arms folded across his chest, soon after he slowly turned around and stared, but the other quickly rose his eyes and protested. "I will give up the world for you, I promise.. I will stop battling if you want me to, I will even lock myself in the Puzzle again just to see you come back." Yuugi remained silent, as if he were thinking of the possibilities and choices, but instead his response was a cute yet tiny smirk that formed on his lips. "You don't have to pretend anymore, you know. You're from Ancient Egypt, an ancient King that's begging a high school student like me to return home, all because of your inexcusable failures. The world should see this!" Yuugi hummed and tilted his head a little. "The King of Games is begging me on his knees.. How adorable, I must say." Soon after, silence surrounded them both and Yuugi's smile vanished in an instant, instead it changed into an angry scowl. "Fight me Pharaoh, or leave me be."

Although he really did not wish to battle his partner, there seemed no other choice. The difficult part was to face the same deck he's been using for a long time, same monsters and traps. It's like multiplying by zero and getting no result, because who will win this? The Pharaoh held himself back and guarded most of the times, anything to harm the other. But the young spirit of Yuugi pulled that one card Yami had hoped not to see again. "And now, it's time to activate this sweet, little thing, Pharaoh." Smiled the boy. "Seal of Orichalcos! Come forth!" And just as that yell, the shining neon green light blinded the ancient spirit and pushed him back with the powerful effect. The familiar Orichalcos mark formed on Yuugi's forehead, changing him completely into a devious person. "Oh my, this feels quite fantastic." He said, giving a laugh at that. "No wonder you've been devoured by this delicious power, a bitter lust and burning envy." And yet the battle continued. Pharaoh felt guilty and sad to see things happen like this, all he desired was to find his little light and apologize for the wrongs he did in the past. He soon began to realize the strategy Yuugi has been using this whole time - the same one Yami used against Raphael - sacrifice his monsters with no mercy, no love or compassion. How painful was it to see them be gone like this, but the guilt spoke loudly into his heart and mind. The memories are painful, knowing he had done the same thing. "Don't be scared, Pharaoh, it will end soon.", said Yuugi. Yami had now realized one thing - aibou never called him like such, always "mou hitori no boku" or even "Yami" but never the title of the Pharaoh, but then again, he had the rights to use it as anybody else, knowing he got betrayed. That cursed power drives anyone into rage and lust.

The battle continued and Yuugi's provocations were getting slightly annoying. Yami realized he couldn't keep defending himself, thus he decided to make an actual move. It felt as if aibou may have been limiting himself now and then, giving the other a chance for some reason. It was now Yuugi's turn and he seemed to carefully plan out the next move, eventually setting a monster in defense mode, Giant Soldier of Stone specifically. This whole battle felt like a mirror, an exact replica between the Pharaoh and Raphael, thus Yami had to think fast. Turn after turn, each monster was sacrificed, he pitied his other half much, but all this was driven by his own inner dark desires. Sword of Revealing Lights gave him three turns to think his strategy through, the Orichalcos mark beneath their feet glowing in response. Yami set a magic card down, knowing it was all he could do for now, having so little life points, now completely defenseless. Fear was quick to come once again, and the attack was coming.. Closing his eyes, the Pharaoh groaned and activated Divine Wind to negate the turn, sending the catapulted attack back at his opponent. A loud scream filled the air, the man frowning quickly. The battle had ended, yet neither of them were pleased. He ran to his aibou and held the spirit in his arms, tears gathering in his eyes. How did the battle end up so quickly? His grasp on time was running out fast, everything felt so wrong and terrible. "Yuugi.. I'm so sorry..", whimpered the man, yet his partner laughed softly. "Don't be sad, mou hitori no boku. It's good you defeated me, I wanted that.." Yet those words confused the Pharaoh. "You defeated the darkness that has ruled over your heart, the traces of the malevolent power have been cleansed away just as all your sins. Mou hitori no boku.. I believe.. I believe you can defeat Dartz and save me as well as the rest of the trapped souls.." There was a soft pause, the small fellow smiling weakly at his taller partner. "Don't weep, you've shed enough tears, please.. don't lament your loss with Raphael.." He said, Yuugi's voice trailing off and becoming weaker. His body began to vanish into pure light, spreading into thousand pieces.

And those last yet sweet words from aibou echoed before the Pharaoh broke into tears. "_I'm always with you._"


End file.
